Container



April 17. 1934. D. c. SHERMAN CONTAINER Filed Feb. l, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l PH W 19:54h` D. c. SHERMAN 1,955,346

CONTAINER Filed Feb. l, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheei 2 Patented Apr. 17, 1934 sra'rss PATET QFFICE CNTAINER Application February 1, 1933, Serial No. 654,754

6 Claims.

This invention relates to containers for the transportation of goods and particularly to the door operating mechanism of drop bottom containers.

Shipping containers of the drop bottom type are now coming into increasing use, having demonstrated their eiiiciency in the transportation of goods by rail and motor truck. Such containers are formed separately from the vehicle upon which they are to be transported, are loaded at a shippers or manufacturers plant, quarry, coal mine, or the like, placed by means of a crane or similar hoisting mechanism upon the top of a flat car, motor truck, trailer, or other vehicle, transported to the desired destination, and thereafter removed from the transportation vehicle by means of a crane. Generally speaking, they comprise box-like structures, generally rectangular in horizontal section and relatively tall as compared with width cr length. They are furthermore usually provided with hinged doors as bottom closures; i. e., the bottom is usually made in two similar sections which are hingedly connected to opposed parallel bottom edges of the side or end walls, these hinged bottom sections or doors being adapted to swing downwardly when the contents of the container are to be discharged, so as to release such contents.

Door operating devices are provided by means or which the opening and closing movements of the bottom doors are effected, and frequently these door operating or controlling devices also comprise the means whereby the container may be lifted by a crane or the like. Thus, in one such container, chains extend vertically of two opposite side walls of the container, each such chain being connected by branch chains to both bottom doors and being provided at its upper end with means engageable by a crane hook. While suspended from a crane, therefore, the entire weight of the receptacle is transmitted to the crane hook by the door controlling devices, which hold the doors tightly closed, the doors being releasable for the discharge of the contents of the container only after the crane hook has been disengaged from these devices.

My invention contemplates particularly improvements in door operating and controlling devices of the type just above described. It comprises two elongated members or slings, one disposed on each side of the container, each sling being connected to two doors and provided with means at its upper end for engagement with a crane hook. The sling which comprises the subject matter of the present invention, however, in-

cludes a number of features novel in the art which render it superior to other types of analogous devices heretofore designed or suggested. Thus, the tension member of the sling comprises a single continuous element connected at its lower ends 6o to the doors and having its mid-portion disposed about a fitting of generally annular shape and engageable by a crane hook. The element thus provided is preferably formed of wire rope which possesses a degree of flexibility combined with great strength and simplicity of structure which renders it admirable for the purpose intended.

The wire rope sling is provided with specially designed metallic ttings which render it compact without interfering with its flexibility and 7o operation. It occupies a minimum of space, lits frictional engagement with the container itself is reduced to a minimum, it does not get out of adjustment, it insures equal and simultaneous operation of the doors, and it eliminates excessive straining of any of the parts of the sling and container and the possibility of breakage, Prior devices of this nature have generally been built up 0i numerous individual elements jointed together, such as chains, links, rods, and the like, the elements of which, by reason of the jointed structure, frequently become tangled during use of the containers with which they are associated so that, upon engagement of the same by a crane, nonsimultaneous operation of the doors occurs, and excessive friction against the container walls or other parts develops, resulting in breakage. Furthermore, such analogous devices as have heretofore been generally employed are heavier and more bulky than a device constructed in accordance with the present invention, as well as being considerably more expensive to originally fabricate and install.

In the accompanying drawings, one form of the invention is disclosed by way of example, but it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that, in adapting the invention to containers which vary considerably in structure and design, the design and arrangement of the several elements of the invention may be considerably modined without departure therefrom.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View through a container with which the improved sling has been incorporated;

Figure 2 is a similar view but taken on a plane at right angles to the sectional planeoi Figure l;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the bottom doors of the container in open or discharging position;

Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the improved sling;

Figures 5 and 6 are edge and top views respectively of one of the fittings shown in Figure 4;

Figure 7 is an edge view of the top fitting shown in Figure 4;

Figures 8 and 9 are edge and top views respectively of a third fitting shown in Figure 4.; and

Figure 10 is a plan view of a locking member used in holding.

The container body is generally indicated at 10. It comprises side walls ll, end walls 12, a top 13, and a bottom formed or" two similar sections or doors 14, the doors being hingedly connected to the body 10 along axes which lie in the planes of the end walls ll and directly below the lower edges of these end walls. The doors may be otherwise pivoted if desired as the details of the pivotal connection comprise no portion of the present invention. Secured adjacent the inner corners of each door are lugs 15, through which bolts 16 transversely7 extend. Each such bolt also extends through aligned apertures formed in the spaced parallel lugs of a bifurcated terminal tting 17, the fittings being thus pivotally mounted on the bolts 16 so that they may swing en these bolts as the doors are opened and closed. A cable or rope, preferably of wire, is indicated at 18, this rope having its free ends secured in fittings 17 and having its mid-portion passing around an annular fitting 19 positioned above the container top. Intermediate fittings 20 and 21 maintain the two reaches of the rope in close parallel relationship so that the whole acts as a single relatively stiff member in operation, save for its bifurcated lower end, i. e., the portions thereof below the fitting 20, which swing toward or away from each other about this fitting as a center as the doors are raised or lowered.

Each sling as an entirety is encased within a vertically extending protective casing indicated at 22 and secured by rivets or other suitable means to the adjacent end wall of the container. The top wall 13 is provided at each end thereof with an aperture through which the sling passes, the margins of this aperture being protected by an annular fitting 23 provided with a flange 24 for attachment to the sheet metal top 13. The protective casing 22 prevents contact between the associated sling and the contents of the conainer, when the container is loaded.

Referring more specifically to the fitting indicated at 20 and particularly to Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings, it will be perceived that this fitting comprises two similar or identical parts 25 and 25', each substantially L-shaped in horizontal section. Part 25 is provided with spaced rope receiving grooves 252 and 253, and part 25 is provided with mating grooves 254 and 255, the two reaches of the cable extending through the cylindrical apertures defined by the cable receiving grooves of these members 25 and 25. Central cylindrical and transversely extending apertures for bolts are indicated at 256, and the bolts 26 which extend through these apertures securing the two parts 25 and 25 in clamping relation to the two reaches of cable.

The rope receiving grooves of this fitting are, at their upper ends, substantially parallel but at their lower ends are divergent, as more clearly shown in Figure 4, providing curved surfaces against which the outer elements of portions of the lower reaches of the cable rest for all positions of the doors. With the doors lowered as shown in Figure 3, the lower ends of the cable element or sling diverge considerably more than when the doors are closed, as shown in Figure 2. The curved surfaces of fitting 20, one of which is indicated at 257, provide smooth bearings for portions of the lower reaches of the cable at all times, i. e., bearing surfaces to which the lowermost straight portions of the cable are always tangential regardless of the positions of the doors. This insures that the cables are never iiexed too sharply during the operation of the container, that is, are not bent so sharply that injury to the cable can result. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that iiexure of a cable, particularly repeated flexure, about a curvature of small radius is highly injurious to the cable and ultimately results in its destruction. As may be seen in Figure 5, the rope receiving grooves of fitting 20 are enlarged laterally, as at 20a, at their lower ends to insure ample clearance for the rope ends in their swinging movements, thus preventing binding and wear.

The fitting indicated at 21 comprises two similar members 30 and 31, each provided with mutually facing vertically extending parallel recesses or grooves, curved in cross-section, for the reception, between them, of the two reaches of the cable respectively. Bolts 32 secure these members together and cause them to clampingly engage both reaches of the cable. It is the function of each tting 2l not only to maintain the reaches in parallel alignment but also to serve as a stop which may be engaged by a locking member such as shown at in Figure 10, and which rests upon the upper edge of the associated fitting 23, to prevent downward movement of the sling until this stop has been disengaged. These stops may be made in various ways, but the simple member shown is satisfactory, the legs of the U-sliaped member being passed between ttings 2l and 23 and on opposite sides of the sling.

The uppermost fitting, i. e., fitting 19, is substantially annular in shape and has formed in its upper outer periphery an external groove for the reception of the cable, this groove being preferably bridged at 34, 34 to prevent the cable from becoming accidentally displaced therefrom, and with a central aperture 35 at its lower end through which both reaches of the cable are passed and within which they are confined. The arrangement of elements of this iitting 19 is such that the cable is adequately protected against abrasion, is curved about a circle of a relatively large radius so as not to be injured, and provides a very strong and convenient eyelet for engagement by a crane hook or similar lifting appliance.

Care is also taken to design the iitting 19 in such manner that rope can slide in the groove provided for its reception should the fitting not be originally exactly centered with respect to fittings 17. This insures equal tensioning of the two reaches of the rope when the sling is under tension and furthermore results in a sling of maximum strength for a given weight of metal. Thus, a sling constructed as described has an ultimate tensile strength approximately equal to the combined ultimate tensile strength of two similar individual wire ropes of the same quality and size. The diameter of fitting 19 will, of course, vary with the diameter of the rope. It is not possible to set forth denitely the exact relationship of rope diameter to fitting diameter, but simple experiment will soon determine the correct relationship for any particular rope. Where a 1/2 rope is used in the sling, the diameter across the groove in fitting 19 is preferably 81A; inches.

With the bottom doors closed as shown in Figure 2, the upper portion of the sling will project above the top of thacontainer body, and, if desired, these portions may be bent over and latched down by any suitable means so as to be out of the way.

The sling described may be fabricated and installed at a minimum of cost. The cable possesses resiliency and yet sufficient stiffness so that it maintains a definite form and position, having no tendency to sag or get out of shape. It has no joints intermediate its ends, will never frictionally bind in its housing, and possesses greater strength per Weight of material used than any type of sling which has been heretofore designed or suggested. As the rope possesses much greater resiliency than chains, etc., the container doors are held in closed position by resilient means and kept more tightly closed for this reason.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent iszl. A door operating unit for drop bottom containers comprising a flexible elongated continuous member having means at its ends, respectively, for attachment to the bottom doors of a container, a fitting at its mid-portion engageable by a crane hook or the like, and means for maintaining the major portions of said member extending between said iitting and said attaching means in substantial parallelism while permitting free relative movement of the end portions thereof which carry said door attachment means.

2. A door operating unit for drop bottom containers comprising a flexible elongated continuous tension member having devices at its ends, respectively, a container, means at its mid-section engageable by a lifting member, and an element intermediate said means and said devices, positioned at a point relatively remote from said means, engaging both reaches of said member to hold them lin fixed relationship at such point of engagement While permitting relative movement of the end portions of said member and the door attachment devices aixed thereto.

3. A door operating unit for drop bottom containers comprising a flexible elongated continuous tension member having devices at its ends, respectively, for attachment to the bottom doors of a container, means at its mid-section engageable by a lifting member, and an element interfor attachment to the bottom doors oi mediate said means and said devices, positioned closer to said devices than to said means, engaging both reaches of said member to hold them. in iixed relationship at such point of engagement While permitting relative movement of the end portions of said member and the door attachment devices an'ixed thereto, said element having mutually facing curved surfaces with respect to which the ends of said member are tangentially disposed, for all relative positions of said devices when said unit is in use.

4. A door operating unit for drop bottom containers comprising an elongated flexible continuous member having devices at its ends, respectively,ifor attachment to the bottom doors of a container, means at its mid-section engageable by a lifting member, and a fitting clampingly engaging both reaches of said member at points equidistant from said means, about which fitting as a common center the ends of said member may swing in the operation of said unit.

5. A door operating unit for drop bottom containers comprising an elongated iiexible continuous member having devices at its ends, respectively, for attachment to the bottom doors of a container, means at its mid-section engagea-ble by a lifting member, a ntting clampingly engaging both reaches of said member at points equidistant from said means, about which fitting as a common center the ends of said member may swing, and a second fitting clampingly engaging both reaches of said member at points intermediate said rst fitting and said means and holding the same in fixed spaced relationship.

6. A door operating unit for drop bottom containers comprising an elongated flexible continuous member having devices at its ends, respectively, for attachment to the bottom doors of a. container, means at its mid-section engageable by a lifting member, a tting clampingly engaging bothreaches of said member at points equidistant from said means, about which fitting as a common center the ends of said member may swing, and a second fitting` clampingly engaging both reaches of said member at points intermediate said first iitting and said means and holding the same in iiXed spaced relationship, said second fitting including two similar sections, each having two parallel recesses for engaging said member, and means for drawing said sections toward each other to clamp said member.

DELMAR C. SHERMAN. 

